Trailer Hitches

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We carry hitches from the leading brands including Curt, Draw-Tite, B&W, Tork-Lift, and Eco-Hitch. We offer hitches for nearly every vehicle on the road, including the most popular makes and models from Ford, Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Dodge, Jeep, and Toyota.

Custom fit trailer hitches are available for virtually every vehicle. At etrailer.com we carry rear mount trailer hitches, front mount, fifth wheels, goosenecks, RV trailer hitches, and weight distribution systems from the best manufacturers such as Draw-tite, Hidden Hitch, Reese, Torklift and Curt. You will also find a complete selection of hitch accessories and related products such as bike racks, cargo carriers, hitch covers, ballmounts, and locks.

Okay as you can see here on the drivers side, our weld nut has a lot of corrosion built up in there. And when we try to install our 10 millimeter bolt is not wanting to start at all, in fact it almost seems like the bolt is too big for the weld nut. It is a common misconception, again when the weld nuts got a lot of build up in there.

Today we are going to review the components needed to pull a trailer. Basically, this video is designed for somebody who just decided they have a need for a trailer, so we will cover all the components in the most basic form, so you know exactly how to update your vehicle. What we are going to do is start from the truck and work our way back to the trailer. First off, we are going to show you the hitch itself. All vehicles require a hitch to pull a trailer. What this device does is makes an attaching point on the frame of the vehicle, or body components, and transmits the forces from the trailer to this one point here. This point here is the receiver part. Consequently this hitch is called a receiver hitch because this hitch can receive a draw bar, or also called a ball mount. It is held in place by this pin which we just ed, and this clip holds it in place. There are more fancier pins, like locking pins, but that is the basic thing you need right there to get the job done. 1:12

Traditionally a class III receiver hitch is good for trailers up to 5000 pounds and 500 pounds tongue weight. There are a few different variances from that, well show you that here in a second. Again were going to start with the stickers and show you the differences, as you can see here the max gross trailer weight is 5000 pounds as we discussed. The tongue weight looks to be 500 pounds, again about 10percent of your trailer weight. On the other side of the class III you will see a sticker for weight distribution. That is a specification when you use a device that goes in between the truck and the trailer that takes up the tongue weight. What it does is distributes the weight between the truck and the trailer and allows you to carry a heavier weight. As far as a class III hitch is concerned, that increases the rating the hitch can handle.

Today were going to go ahead and review the various classes of hitches starting from the smallest working our way up to the largest.Some good terms to know about receiver hitches. Tongue weight. Thats the amount of weight of the trailer thats pushing down on the hitch ball. Trailer weight will be a larger number and that will include the weight of your trailer plus whatever is on top of it or in it.When you get to two-inch receivers, you can use whats called Weight Distribution. Which this is a separate device that goes between the trailer hitch and the trailer. It takes tongue weight, picks it up and what it does it distributes that weight over the axles of the truck and the trailer.

Today we are going to show you a cheat. In some cases you are going to have a hitch that uses threaded holes in the bottom of the frame. Those holes are going to be probably corroded up within a few years of the vehicle being on the road with dirt, grime, salt corrosion, you name it is probably in there inside the fine thread. What you want to do is clean out the threads probably with an existing hitch bolt if it is lightly corroded and you can probably work it in and out a few times and do that. 00:20

A common problem that we run into with a lot of our vehicles that have existing weld nuts in the bottom of the frame is that when you go to try to put a bolt in them you have an excessive amount of road grime or rust built up in there and when you go to put your bolt inside the weld nuts you find not only does it not want to thread but it also appears that the bolt is too big for the weld nut. The first thing that typically comes to mind is that the bolts that I received are too big and 99.9 percent of the time this is not the case. What we have actually got here is an excessive amount of rust and debris built up in the weld nuts that are preventing the bolt from starting. We are going to show you how to get those thoroughly cleaned out so that we can not only get our bolt started but to get it threaded completely into the weld nut. 00:41

So you are in the middle of doing your hitch installation and you are in the process of taking out one of your existing factory bolts. In the process you find that the bolt is not coming out due to the fact that the weld nut inside the frame has broken. We are just going to go ahead and show you a couple of things you can do to not only get the bolt out of the way but to also go ahead and continue on to be able to put your hitch in position without the weld nut welded inside the frame. The first thing that we obviously need to do is go ahead and get the bolt out of here. There are a couple of different ways you can do this. You can take a chisel, is you have one large and strong enough to do so, and possible grind the head of the bolt off. Or you can actually take a torch and torch it off. And that is actually what we are going to do on this application here. I am going to try to get most or as much of the head of the bolt off as I can. And we will take and push the remaining section of the bolt-weld nut combination up inside the frame. 0:49

Today on our 2010 Lincoln MKX were going to address the exhaust rattle issue. There are a couple of reasons for occasional contact between hitch and exhaust. One, the manufacturers have loose tolerances from mounting the hangers that suspend exhaust systems. Final placement of the exhaust can vary slightly from vehicle to vehicle. The flexibility of rubber isolator connecting exhaust hanger to the vehicle frame allows for more movement of the exhaust system relative to other vehicle components. An isolator can also stretch over time.

Today we are going to show you the proper operation of a handle nut. Basically, a lot of hitch installs will use this type of device here. You can manipulate this handle any way you want to, to run this nut into an area that has a tight fit. You can bend this at will, basically. Just take it like this and bend it, and then put another hook into it, and make a handle like that. And you can thread it into the frame, where you can actually run your bolt through the bottom of it. All right, and now we will go ahead actually and install this handle nut on a typical application.

Now well move on to a class II receiver hitch. Well cover the weights on the sticker and cover a couple of differences on the receiver tube itself. You see here it says weight carrying ballmount that means the ballmount going into the receiver and the ball, that is what that means. You see here where it says weight distribution that is a separate device that allows you to carry heavier weights, that does not really apply to class II receiver hitches. Again by itself on the hitch its rated for 3500 pounds, that is the total weight. The tongue weight is listed at 300 pounds. On the details of the Class II hitch, there is not too many details on it compared to a class one. Basically all class II hitches have this ring that goes around the end of the tube. This is so at a quick glance you are working with a class II.

Were going to start off with this example here which is a class I hitch. Class I means this hitch is good for trailers up to 2000 pounds. What were going to show you over here is the sticker which shows the different weights and capacities involved. Well show you what those mean. As you can see by the sticker here, were going to show you some notes on it, these stickers will apply to any class hitch that you come across. Once you figure out what this means, you are home free. Starting here at max gross trailer weight which shows 2000 pounds. So that means the total weight you can pull with your trailer, for example if your load on your trailer is 500 pounds, you have 1500 pounds of weight to put on it so it remains at a safe capacity for this hitch. Moving on to this next number which is max gross tongue weight, it shows 200 pounds there.

Alright we will get started by lowering the exhaust. These rubber hangers here will need lubricant sprayed on them to make it easier to get them off. Before we lower the exhaust we are actually going to put a safety strap underneath here so we can control the exhaust as we lower it. See how we can control it.

Normally trailer coupler height is around 17 inches, from the ground to the bottom of the coupler, and most hitch manufacturers design their hitches to work with a ball mount that will end up very close to this measurement. I am including a link to an instruction page detailing how to measure for the correct ball mount and how to measure the ball mount.
With the Curt Trailer Hitch, item # 13555, for your 2008 Honda CRV the recommended ball mount is the Draw-Tite Ball Mount, item # 2753,... view full answer...

I spoke with the trailer hitch manufacturer, who informed me that there are no changes on the 2018 Subaru models that should affect the fit of trailer hitches. I recommend going with the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III – 2", Item # 75673. The manufacturer confirmed this to fit the 2018 Subaru Outback.
This hitch includes computer-aided, fully welded steel construction for maximum strength and durability, easy bolt-on installation, and a black powder... view full answer...

I looked up the owners manual for the 2014 Ford F-150. On a 4x4 SuperCrew with the 3.5 liter EcoBoost, 145 inch wheelbase, and 3.55 rear end the gross combined weight rating will either by 13,400 pounds (for limited models) or 15,500 pounds. If you subtract the gross vehicle weight rating of 7,200 pounds then the max you can tow will either be 6,200 pounds or 8,300 pounds. Of course if the gross weight of the truck when loaded with cargo, fuel, and occupants is only 6,000 pounds then you... view full answer...

The Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver # 76128 referenced in your question will indeed fit your 2018 Honda CR-V Touring. This Class III trailer hitch will provide you with a 2 inch receiver opening and has a 4,500 pound towing weight capacity and 675 pound tongue weight capacity. It is custom-fit for the vehicle, which means it will use existing holes in the CR-V's frame for a no-drill installation.
I have attached a short installation video on the 2017 CR-V that you can use... view full answer...

I referred to the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee owner's manual to find what the Max Gross Trailer Weight rating.
According to the manual, on page 531, the max trailer weight rating is determined by your Jeep's drivetrain. For the 3.6L V6 with either 4x2 or 4x4 models, the max trailer weight rating is the 6,200 lbs you listed. This will be with or without towing package. The 6,200 lbs weight is the max the 2015 Grand Cherokee will be able to tow safely.
However, although your Jeep has... view full answer...

I would discourage the use of an adapter for use of 2 inch accessories in 1-1/4 inch trailer hitch receivers. The reason is that the adapter places the carrier farther away from the rear of the vehicle and hitch, creating additional torque that 1-1/4 inch hitches, especially Class I hitches, are not designed to handle.
For this reason all 1-1/4 to 2 inch hitch adapters decrease the hitch or vehicle tongue weight capacity, whichever is lowest, by 50 percent, making a class one hitch only... view full answer...

The Class II Curt Hitch # C12136 and Class II Draw-Tite Hitch # 36493 for your 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon are very similar, but every Class I and Class II and some Class III Curt Hitches require stabilizing straps to be used when towing non trailer loads. When stabilizing straps are not used on these hitches, the warranty is void and will no longer be covered by Curt. Draw-Tite hitches do not require stabilizing straps to be used on non trailer loads.
The Curt and Draw-Tite Hitches have... view full answer...

Yes, the Curt hitch part # 9883544 is a confirmed fit for your 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL and will work great.
For trailer wiring you'd need the part # 119147KIT.
If you wanted to do some towing you might be interested in etrailer ball mount kit # 989900. It comes with 2 ball mounts; one with a 3/4 inch rise or 2 inch drop and one with a 2-3/4 inch rise or 4 inch drop. It also includes a 1-7/8 inch ball, 2 inch ball, hitch pin with clip, and a storage bag.
If the ball mount kit does... view full answer...

The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), or gross vehicle mass (GVM) is the maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers.
Maximum trailer weight rating is the heaviest trailer you can tow. So for your truck the heaviest trailer you can tow would be 8,400 lbs regardless of what hitch you use. So you would not be... view full answer...

I'd recommend the Draw Tite hitch part # 76138 for your 2018 Mazda CX-5 as it is a confirmed fit, has a 2 inch hitch size, and unlike the Curt equivalent does not require a stabilizer strap when carrying a bike rack.
view full answer...

I can certainly help you out. The TW is the tongue weight. This is the weight of the trailer at the coupler that attaches to the ball mount on the trailer hitch. It should be 10 to 15 percent of the GTW or gross trailer weight. The gross trailer weight is the total weight of the trailer.
Weight distribution is a system that installs on the trailer frame and the trailer couples to a special shank on the trailer hitch. The spring bars that come with a weight distribution system take some... view full answer...

For your 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, I recommend the Curt Class III Receiver Hitch # C13382. This is an excellent Class III hitch that is confirmed to fit your vehicle and will provide a 2 inch receiver opening and a towing weight capacity of 3,500 pounds. This is custom-fit for your Crosstrek which means it will use existing holes in the vehicle frame for a no drill installation.
I have also attached the complete installation details that you can take a look at.
view full answer...

You should not tow your trailer on dry pavement with the vehicle in 4-wheel drive. For normal towing you should always use 2-wheel drive. The exceptions to this are extreme conditions such as snow covered or muddy roads that would normally require 4 wheel drive. Just remember that if you would use 4-wheel drive without the trailer then you should use it with the trailer.
In the mountains, if you are descending on a 4-wheel drive trail then 4-wheel drive low would be recommended to save... view full answer...

The listed towing capacity of your 2004 Chevy Silverado LS short bed with 5.3L engine is going to vary depending on some specifics of the vehicle. If the Silverado is four-wheel drive and has a 3.73:1 axle ratio, the capacity is 7,800 lbs (extended cab) or 8,200 lbs (regular cab); if it is four-wheel drive and has a 4.10:1 axle ratio the towing capacity is 8,800 lbs (extended cab) or 9,200 lbs (regular cab).
If your Chevy is two-wheel drive and has a 3.42:1 axle ratio, the towing capacity... view full answer...

I found an online copy of the owners manual for the 2014 Chevy Equinox from Chevy and have the towing information for you. The models with the 2.4 liter motor have a gross trailer weight capacity of 1,000 pounds if the trailer does not have brakes or 1,500 pounds if the trailer does have brakes.
The gross combined weight rating, which is the most the vehicle and trailer can weigh when loaded with cargo, fuel, passengers, and any accessories is 5,787 pounds for front wheel drive models... view full answer...

You are correct, I checked the instructions and the revision currently provided with the hitch, part # 75600, were done in 2008. I spoke with my technical contact at Draw-Tite and he said that his engineering department now has some directions photos that show additional steps that may be required for 2011 and newer BMW X5 vehicles. I will list them out for you and I have added photos that my contact sent for you to see.
1) Remove the first 3 rivets from the rear fender flare, and pop... view full answer...

I checked the owner's manual for your 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of your vehicle is 13,000 lbs. The best way to determine your towing capacity is to load your truck with all the people and cargo that you plan to carry when leaving on a trip and then weigh the truck. You will subtract this weight from the GCWR. This number will be the true maximum towing capacity of your Silverado. I typically don't recommend towing at your maximum capacity,... view full answer...

When looking at weight capacities of a towing setup, you will always be limited by a system's weakest component. I took a look at the online owner's manual for your 2016 Chevrolet Traverse and saw that for a front-wheel drive model that does not have the factory trailer towing package, the maximum trailer weight is 2,000 pounds. As you mentioned in your question, the factory towing package would have bumped it up to 5,200 pounds.
So with your Traverse that does not have the factory tow... view full answer...

For your 2017 Chrysler Pacifica we have the Draw Tite Hitch part # 76046 which has a pretty high towing capacity of 675 lbs of tongue weight and 4,500 lbs total trailer weight. One thing you have to consider is that a towing capacity for a vehicle is basically the lowest rated component in the setup. So this hitch has a high capacity but your vehicle may be rated much lower and that would be how much you could tow. You would need to check the owners manual of the vehicle to determine this.
From... view full answer...

Absolutely, I am here to help! The max carrying weight of a hitch is how much the hitch can pull if you were to just hook your trailer up to the hitch and not use a weight distribution system.
The Gross Trailer Weight or GTW of this hitch is 5,000 lbs. and the Tongue Weight or TW of this hitch is 500 lbs. The GTW is how much weight the hitch can pull behind it and the tongue weight is the downward force that the tongue of the trailer applies to the hitch of the tow vehicle. So the hitch... view full answer...